Dublin is home to first biodegradable computer
Sunday November 23 2008
THE world’s first biodegradable computer has been produced in Dublin. The iameco computer is built from biodegradable wood panels manufactured using waste products from the lumber and pulp industry.
The inventors of iameco are from MicroPro Computers, a company based in Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. They say they can implant the seeds of native-tree species into the wood panels.
“Our business is built around green technologies: using them to produce healthier, more energy-efficient and cheaper computers that have less impact on the environment,” says Paul Maher, managing director, MicroPro.
“One advantage of iameco is that when the components are buried in landfill the wood gets wet, breaks down and new plants begin to grow from old computers.”
In addition to the iameco computer, which uses one third less energy than regular computers, the biodegradable wood can also be used to manufacture the computer monitor casing, keyboard and mouse.
MicroPro Computers has benefited from Enterprise Ireland supports, and so will other companies under the agency’s new GreenTech Support programme for business. The fund is expected to help companies do everything from finding ways to reduce air pollution to inventing new environmentally friendly products.
© Whitespace Ltd 2008
- Deirdre Doyle
